Home Forums Hunting & Shooting General Big Game Copper ammo and black bear—30-06 or 6.5 creedmoor?

Hi all, long-time lurker here and glad to finally post something.

I am going bear hunting this year and I can use my tried and true 30-06 with 180 grain trophy copper ammo (2700 FPS) or my brand-new 6.5 creedmoor with 127 grain barnes vor-tx LR ammo (2825 FPS). Most bears are going to be under 300 lbs but I’d like them to drop as quickly as possible so I don’t have to follow them into the bush. I am going to be calling them in with distress calls so I’m not sure what size bear will show up.

Normally I’d think “go bigger” but will my 30/06 with 180 grain copper fully transfer it’s energy? This is the most accurate load for this rifle. It has worked well on elk and deer but I never saw big trauma with the deer I shot. Of course I’d like to use my brand new 6.5 creedmoor but I’ve never killed anything with it. Also I’ve never shot a bear before either so give me your advice. Which of these rifle/cartridge combinations would you choose?

The rifle you shoot most accurately.
Either will work. Study up on bear anatomy.

Welcome to the jungle!

I bet neither transfers their full energy.

The Creedmore will never be the equal of a 30-06!!

So no opinions on either load/setup?

I shoot bears in shoulders. Either should work fine. Generally Copper bullets, most will tell you to go lighter to increase velocity, for reliable bullet expansion at farther ranges. I have yet to shoot a bear over 60 yards. Depending on your hunting method and ranges?

When I hunted bears a lot, the 30-06 was my go to cartridge. Based on several that I shot and several others I saw shot, it would still be my cartridge of choice. Put the bullet in the vitals and you will have a very dead bear not far from impact.

My opinion on choice of chambering - 30-06. I have both 30-06 and 6.5 CM, but would choose a bigger bullet for bear. Barnes bullets will do the job, or Nosler Partitions, if Barnes bullets don't shoot well in your rifle. The TSX bullets will "transfer its energy" just fine. You are well acquainted with that rifle, another plus.

30-06 150gr TTSX

6.5 CM 120gr TTSX


Two holes, lots of damage.

I don't know diddly about hunting bear except they are big game. They look to be as thick or thicker than hogs. To me anything 6.5 I consider a deer or medium game rifle or good for medium game. From what I've read on forums the advantage of a Creedmoor is distance. They shoot High BC heavy for caliber bullets at relatively high down range velocity. What I read here is that most bear are killed at shorter distances. So for bear I can't see any advantage with a 6.5 Creedmoor over an 06. Inside 300 yards an 06 is going to trump a 6.5 Creedmoor in energy and any other parameter probably including velocity. I think marketing has blown the capabilities of the 6.5s and more especially the Creedmoor way out of proportion. They have their strong point's but so do many other cartridges. Take the 06 bear hunting.

So Shag would you take the 120 TTSX @ 2825 FPS over the 180 trophy copper @2700?

I have a guide friend who calls the 6.5, the "needmore." Says results on Texas and NM big game are dismal and no longer allows hunters to use it. He admits he does not check what bullet they are using, just caliber. IMO, the 6.5 was never meant to be a hunter cartridge, it was designed for long range target shooting. I'd stick with the '06, and might even opt for a 200grain bullet.

Oh Dude, an 06 with a good VLD 200 grain bullet will do everything a Crudmoor will with some left over. When people talk about the Crudmoor they convenient leave out some things. A big ol' 30 caliber will hurl long 200 grain bullets and stabilize them with 1:10 twist rifling way out yonder accurately. What Mountain 10mm said is right on except I do acknowledge that the Crudmoor is probably a great Deer-Antelope cartridge. But BC doesn't make up for bullet mass.

I know what you guys are saying—a bigger powerful caliber and a bigger bullet hurts more, but does this apply to smaller game with big copper bullets? I am concerned about bullets “penciling” through a pissed off mama bear if things go wrong.

My question is based towards those with experience shooting a lot of copper. My experience with my 30-06 180’s has been complete pass throughs with bull elk and deer, with less noticeable trauma on the deer. It has worked great but now that I’m hunting bear (alone I might add) I am more concerned about the animal running 50 yards into the brush, and me having to go after it or having to go get back up to do it safely.

I know that some people would answer “shoot the 150’s or 130 grain coppers super fast out of the ‘06” but I don’t handload and the 150 grain bullets are less accurate out of my rifle.

The '06 was never meant to be a 'hunter cartridge' either. It was designed for military use. Sounds like he's screwed either way.

Black bears die pretty easy when you shoot them where you should. I wouldn’t overthink this, just take the rifle you shoot well and enjoy carrying and remember to shoot them in the front half.

This one went about 10 yards after my wife shot it with a plain old Sierra soft point out of her 270. It’s pretty dead in this picture.

I’ve seen them shot or shot them myself with all kinds of stuff from 243Win up through 458Win as well as handguns. I rate them as easier to kill than a rutting whitetail buck.

It may not have been specifically designed as such, but it sure does do it well.

If your worried about expansion with mono's in the 30-06, why not buy some federal 180 partition loads. This was the bullet I used mostly (along with the 180 interlock) and they knock the snot out of bears, go together like PB&J. Not sure where you are hunting but blood trailing bears in thick stuff can be difficult as they are not good bleeders due to fat and dense hide/fur. Most of the bears I hunted where Alaskan coastal bears, if they ran any distance you were going to be climbing vertical stuff choked with alders and devils club. The 06 with any good bullet will give you two holes.

I have no experience with the 6.5 anything, I imagine with good shot placement it will kill as dead. The 06 is what I am familiar with, so I'd take that. .02

TK That is one handsome bear.

LY take the 30-06 I agree with some. I have been harvesting big game in VA with the 260 rem for almost 20 years and you can trust me the 120 TSX at 2900 will do the job. However after shooting bears with both your cartridges I'm taking the 30-06 if I know I'm hunting bear.




Good luck and shoot straight y'all

I've only killed a couple...both with win 180 pp rn out of a 30-06. worked fine. one had been shot by someone else but they never showed while I was cleaning it.